AAP, BJP spar over CAG report

Statesman News Service | August 24, 2016 10:46 pm

The AAP and BJP on Wednesday squabbled over the issue of CAG report in the assembly with the latter charging the ruling party of "unconstitutionally hiding" the report "which exposes wastage of public money" on advertisements and demanded the House be "dissolved" over the issue.

Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Vijender Gupta, charged that the government is trying to suppress the report because it severely indicts it for glaring irregularities.

He said, "The report was submitted before commencement of the current Vidhan Sabha Session.But it is objectionable that the government failed to take the House in confidence."

The CAG report, said Gupta, highlights that a test check of records of Delhi government brought out expenditure of Rs 24.29 crore on advertisements and publicity campaigns that were not keeping with the basic principles governing expenditure from public funds and the guidelines approved by the Supreme Court. Over 85 per cent of expenditure of Rs 33.40 crore incurred in one specific publicity campaign pertained to advertisements released outside the NCT of Delhi which was beyond the responsibility of Delhi government.

The AAP legislators in turn accused Vijender Gupta, of usurping the pension funds. Gupta also had a heated argument with AAP MLA, Amanatullah Khan, who at one point asked the officials to switch off the microphone at the BJP MLA’s desk.

Gupta objected and asked why Mr Khan was "behaving like the Speaker". He said that the move of the government is unconstitutional and can invite legal action. Following which the AAP MLAs, led by Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, went on an offensive, saying that he has no knowledge of such report. He suggested the Centre was trying to "falsely implicate" the AAP.

"I don’t have any knowledge about any such thing. As and when we receive any report we will table it. It seems his (Gupta) masters have written to the CAG and are expecting something on that basis. That’s why such demands are being made," said Sisodia.

Referring to Gupta’s demand of dissolution of the House, AAP MLA Alka Lamba said the matter should be forwarded to the privileges committee of the House, so that action can be taken against him.

Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said Gupta was not raising the issue under the appropriate section of Business proceedings of the house. He said it was not a point of order as claimed by the BJP leader.